a note about the crate - you will need to get him used to it (if he has never been crated) before you can actually use it. Might be worth looking into earlier even if you don't end up needing it. You should take a few days at least (depending on the dog) to just desensitize before you close the door for the night. Crating isn't cruel when done properly. My dogs love their crate. Neither needs to be crated during the day anymore but we go to dog events and travel and are crated then. Or sometimes when a new foster arrives they will be crated at times during integration/meal time. They don't mind, generally go right in on their own when the crates come back up.